


They Say It's Tragic

by I_have_a_Mycroft_of_my_very_own



Series: Malec One Shots [19]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Hehehe, I'm making this up as I go along, Post S03E20, because we don't really know all that much about Edom yet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 07:46:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18656050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_have_a_Mycroft_of_my_very_own/pseuds/I_have_a_Mycroft_of_my_very_own
Summary: In which Magnus and Alec stubbornly communicate even though they're two whole worlds away OR in which Magnus would wait forever for Alec to free him





	They Say It's Tragic

**Author's Note:**

> I am happily making things up as I go along because we don't know anything Edom, really, so... yay! :D

_I am waiting by your window,_  
_Waiting till your eyes close,_  
_Before we fall in love._  
_They say it's tragic,_  
_Turning skin to plastic._  
_Closest thing to magic,_  
_Watching you become..._  
_My light, my dark, my everything._

 _Yeah, I bleed just like everyone,_  
_But I feed off a different drum._  
_I'm built all of broken bone,_  
_I'm nothing to no one._  
_Will you ghost stay here in the dark,_  
_So close, while I fall apart?_  
_When you go, I will keep your heart._  
_I am nothing to no one but you._  
~No One But You, Gin Wigmore

* * *

 

Magnus knows Alec will come for him, he knows it with everything that he is, because he knows if their roles were reversed, he’d come for Alec. He knows Alec should leave well alone, that Magnus is the only thing keeping the rift closed, keeping Earth safe, but he knows Alec will find a way to get him back and ensure the rift closes for good.

So, he doesn’t feel at all guilty in reminding Alec that he’s still there.

* * *

Alec frowns at the fire message that appears before him, smelling of fire and brimstone, that burns for a solid minute before finally extinguishing itself on Alec’s desk. Alec narrows his eyes at the parchment before finally reaching out to pick it up, feels the warmth that lingers.

_Reception in Edom is hell, Alexander. ~M_

He reads the message and can’t help the smile that pulls at his lips, of course Magnus finds a way for them to speak.

Alec quickly writes his message back and sends it on its way, uncertain if it will ever reach its destination, thinks perhaps reception in Edom isn’t the problem, the distance on the other hand?

* * *

Magnus doesn’t expect any reply, isn’t sure if the Nephilim fire messages are strong enough to reach him, so instead, he goes about claiming a little piece of Edom for himself. Lilith is still, surprisingly, contained, though she has managed to dig Cain up from somewhere. At least she’s not a problem in his quest to establish himself.

He might be here awhile, especially since the Fall of Edom had the unintended side effect of throwing Edom out of its own time field. He could be here a hundred years, three hundred, a thousand, and still only a day might pass on Earth. He doesn’t bother keeping track of the passage of time, especially since Edom has no sun, no moon, no way to tell how time is passing him by other than to simply know it is.

He’s just taken over where his father left off when he’s surprised to find a fire message appearing in front of him, it burns with a golden flame as it falls to the floor before his father’s throne and continues to burn for longer than normal before finally going out. Magnus is cautious when he reaches down to pick it up, amused to still feel the heat in the parchment.

_Are you really surprised, Magnus? It’s hell. ~A_

Magnus has to think, to remember what message he sent Alec what feels like a lifetime ago, but when he does, he smiles and immediately sets out writing a reply.

* * *

Alec splits his time between planning with the others how to take down Jonathan and planning how to get Magnus back. The only problem he finds, is that he can’t think of any way to extract Magnus from Edom without reopening the rift, something he won’t do. He’s about to throw his hands up in despair and go and drown himself in a bottle for the night when a message appears before him, smelling of sulphur and ash, and Alec knows not to take it up until it has stopped burning and come to rest on the floor before him.

_Please do not remind me, darling. How are you? I miss you. Wish I was with you. ~M_

Alec breathes in deeply when he reads the words, closing his eyes. When he opens them, he has a new resolve, as he quickly replies, then throws himself straight back into planning and reading, the endless sea of books the Clave and the Spiral Labyrinth have provided on Edom and its history.

* * *

Magnus rubs tiredly at his forehead, his eyes closed as he listens to the demons arguing around him, debating over the lives of their warlock children on Earth, whose child has slighted who, or whose reign of terror on Earth was better than whose. Truly, if someone had told him that the Greater Demons spend their time squabbling over ridiculous things, he wouldn’t have believed them for a single second.

He feels the air around him shift; the way it always does before a fire message appears. He opens his eyes in time to see the message fall before him, still burning its golden hue. He hums, reaching down to pick it up when it has finally gone out. Wracking his brain to remember what message he sent. It feels so long ago now; Alec feels so long ago. The only thing keeping him going is the solid warmth of the Lightwood family ring on his finger. Reminding him that Alec will come for him.

_I love you. I wish you were with me, but I will find a way to free you. Also, for the wedding, are we compromising on colours? Warlock Blue, Shadowhunter Gold? ~A_

Magnus lips curve into a smile before he’s even consciously aware of it. He dismisses the demons with an annoyed wave of his hand, then sinks back against the throne and considers Alec’s question, grinning when he finally makes up his mind to send his response.

* * *

Since the rift was opened, the demon activity across the world has risen, the demons who were already on Earth becoming bolder, and the Asmodei left behind when the rift was closed beginning to cause havoc as well. So, when the next fire message appears, Alec almost doesn’t notice it, if not for the sudden smell of burning ash and brimstone, and the parchment that burns longer than it should. When he gets a chance, Alec scoops up the message and shoves it in his pocket, before returning his attention to the fight.

Izzy finally gets a good shot in, the demon disintegrating to ashes, before Alec turns his attention to the message, his hands shaking as he pulls it from his pocket.

_I love you with everything that I am. I’ll wear the gold, if you’ll wear the blue? Madzie is the flower girl! ~M_

Alec smiles softly as he reads the words, and nods his head in agreement, having already determined the role Madzie would play in their wedding.

“Alec, reports of another demon.” Izzy tells him, resting her hand on his shoulder. Alec nods his head, shoving the message back in his pocket and going to do his duty. But, when he crawls into bed after a long day of demon hunting, he remembers to reply.

* * *

Magnus is in the middle of a power struggle with the demons formerly under his father’s command, now under his when the next message arrives. He ignores it, his sole focus on the demons, the lesser demons are easy to subdue, but the Greater Demons are harder, especially those who were former angels, but Magnus knows how to solve that problem.

With a great burst of magic, he snaps their necks, one by one, throwing them into a temporary unconsciousness, then immediately sends them hurtling through a portal, never to be seen again. He wonders, briefly, if his father will enjoy the company, before he turns to the other demons, who’d gathered in a circle around them to watch the fight.

“Anyone else?” Magnus questions, looking at each demon in turn, nodding his head when no one answers his challenge. “Good, then get out!” Magnus snaps, his magic swirling around him in visible, heaving red waves. The demons are quick to leave his presence, least they take a one-way trip to Limbo. Once the final one is gone, Magnus walks to the fire message, bends to pick it up, his eyes already reading the message as he straightens up.

_Max is our ring bearer… stele bearer… item bearer? Non-traditional weddings are hard to plan, Magnus! But I like the way you think; you always look beautiful in gold. We’re coming for you. ~A_

Magnus scrunches the parchment in his hand, reaching to twist the Lightwood family ring on his finger, over and over again while he thinks. He ponders the message for a few… not-days, before replying.

* * *

They’ve just arrived in Edom when a message appears in front of Alec, who watches it with narrowed eyes as it acts like a normal fire message, going out almost immediately upon arrival. He frowns and snatches it out of the air.

_Please be safe, my dearest. Nothing is worth it if you free me only for me to lose you. Besides, I’ve been promised you in Warlock Blue, I’ll be upset if you take that away from me! ~M_

Alec laughs and tucks the message in his pocket, quickly taking the time to write out a new message, before they make their way towards what Lorenzo swears is the hall Asmodeus set up for himself.

* * *

Magnus is surprised at how quickly a reply comes to his last message, he feels like he has only just sent it, when a reply appears in front of him, going out almost immediately, without the golden fire he’s come to recognize. He frowns and tugs the message from the air.

_We’re here. I’ve missed you so much! ~A_

Magnus can’t help the hope that swells up in his chest, he almost chokes on it, his eyes suddenly blurry with tears. He’d known all along that Alec would come for him, would not leave him here, but as the not-years had dragged on, his faith had begun to crumble. But now Alec is here.

He doesn’t bother replying to the message, instead, he pulls himself together, wipes the tears from his eyes and goes to the entrance way into the hall, considers the way his magic has been singing in his veins ever since he returned to Edom. Aside from Jonathan, Shadowhunters have never delved into the heart of Edom before, not once, and his siblings are ravenously hungry since their taste of Nephilim blood.

He considers his options, before stepping out onto the red soil and searching for his beautiful Shadowhunter, can’t quite stop the gasp that escapes him when he sees a very specific group of people running towards him, fighting off his siblings as they go. He sighs heavily, before calling forth his magic, using it to grab hold of one of his siblings before using them like a bat to fling their other siblings away.

“Get inside!” He snaps at the group, who have stopped to look at him. “Hurry up about it!” Magnus commands, the same no-nonsense tone he’s adopted to deal with his demons spilling unconsciously into his words. One by one the group cross past him and into the hall, Magnus follows the last of them inside, sealing the doors behind them, to ensure none of his demons interrupt them and none of his siblings find their way inside. “Alexander, when you said ‘we’, I didn’t expect you to bring everyone. Even Lorenzo is here?” Magnus exclaims, turning to look at them all, his chest feeling tight at the sight of them. It has been so, so long. Their faces long ago blurred into nothing in his memories, but now, seeing them before him, suddenly he remembers.

“I am here reluctantly.” Lorenzo points out, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling. Magnus laughs, the sound hysteric to his own ears, so he stops, closes his eyes and breathes in deeply.

“I really hope you have a way to get me out of here.” He says, when he opens his eyes again, turning to look at Alec, who steps confidently into his space and pulls him into a kiss. Magnus closes his eyes again, kissing back like his very life depends on it. “It’s been so long.” He whispers against Alec’s lips when the kiss breaks.

“We always find our way back.” Alec promises, pulling him into a tight hug, Magnus chokes on his breath, but refuses to cry, not here, not surrounded by their friends… and Lorenzo, of all people. So, he stiffens his upper lip and breathes in deeply.

“Tell me the plan.” He finally says, pushing Alec away when he’s sure he’s not going to spontaneously burst into tears.

"Edom is an alternate Earth, because it Fell and eventually became a Hellscape, there’s a tunnel from Edom to Earth, this is the rift that Jonathan opened… er, twice now.” Alec explains, frowning. “Anyway, there’s a way to permanently shut the tunnel. It doesn’t close Edom, the demons will still have access to Earth through the other Hellscapes, but they won’t have direct access. It’s the same for anyone coming to Edom, they’d have to go to another Hellscape, then come here.”

“Right.” Magnus nods his head in understanding. “And how do we close the tunnel?”

“Er magic. That’s your and Lorenzo and Meliorn’s area, I’m just here for back up… and so I could kiss you, that too.” Alec points out, with a bright grin. Magnus rolls his eyes and steals another kiss.

“I have missed your kisses.”

“Guys, is now really the time for this?” Jace asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Time doesn’t exist here. I could take Alec and disappear for a little while and there still would not be an impact to Earth.” Magnus points out, causing Izzy to facepalm, Meliorn to laugh, and Lorenzo to sigh.

“He’s right, you know.” Lorenzo finally points out, when Jace just stares at Magnus like he has two heads. “Edom sits outside of time. Things here _are,_ and that is all.”

“What would we even call this?” Clary asks Simon, who raises an eyebrow at her in confusion. “Sex on a plane is the Mile-High Club. But I guess it doesn’t have to have a name, since Space Sex is literally just called Sex in Space. Hell Sex though, that’s one I’ve never heard before.”

“I should have left everyone else home.” Alec mutters to the ceiling, his eyes closed. Magnus laughs and shakes his head.

“Technically, it’s mirror sex.” He points out, causing Alec to groan at him. “Since Edom is… essentially a mirror of Earth where things ended differently.”

“Can we please just get on with this?” Lorenzo exclaims, throwing his hands up in a huff. “I do have things to get on with, and I’m still angry with _you.”_ He states, jabbing Magnus in the chest. “For that stunt your father pulled.”

“Well, I got revenge on your behalf, or do you not recall?” Magnus questions, before turning immediately to Alec. “Did you bring the spell, ritual, whatever it is?” he asks, Alec frowns at him then turns to Lorenzo, who scowls at them all and summons a spell book from the ether, shoving it into Magnus’ hands. Magnus flicks through it to the page marked with a blue post it and quickly reads through the instructions, laughing. “Fine. Let’s go throw magic into the heart of Edom, then we’re getting out of here!”

* * *

Hours later, when they’re back on Earth, Jonathan’s mess has been cleaned up and covered up to the Clave’s satisfaction, Magnus and Alec snuggle in bed together, in the loft Lorenzo graciously decided he was done with, since he never, ever wanted to be a goddamn lizard ever again in his damn life, thank you very much.

“How long do you think you were gone?” Alec asks, gently running his fingers through Magnus’ hair, where his head is resting on Alec’s chest.

“I don’t know.” Magnus answers, his eyes closed as he relaxes under Alec’s fingers. “Time truly has no meaning in Edom, Alexander.”

“I’m sorry it took so long.” Alec murmurs, letting go when Magnus shifts, sitting himself up to frown at Alec. “What?”

“Alec… you’re really different.” Magnus tells him, quickly trying to explain when Alec looks offended. “I mean, you’re really different from anyone else I’ve ever met.”

“Oh. I don’t… why?”

“Camille would have left me to rot in Edom. Imasu would have done the same. As much as I loved him, George wouldn’t have had the means to free me, and he was so caught up in the war, he wouldn’t have had the time anyway.”

“I was in the middle of the apocalypse and I found time.” Alec points out, unimpressed, Magnus laughs and steals a kiss.

“George was a mundane, Alexander, you can’t hold that against him.” Magnus answers, rolling his eyes. “What I’m saying is that no one else… no one else would have even thought to come for me. They’d just have let me go to Edom and then they would have forgotten about me, you didn’t.”

“Did you think I… did you think that I would?” Alec asks, reaching out to grip Magnus’ hands tight in his own.

“No. I knew from the beginning that you would free me.” Magnus tells him honestly. “That’s why you’re different. I don’t care how long it took you to save me. It could have taken you the rest of your life and I would have still waited for you. As it is, you saved me as quickly as was possible, how can I argue with that?”

“But you were gone for so long.”

“So?” Magnus asks, frowning in confusion. “Alexander, I ruled in Edom during my time there, it was the only way to ensure I could still be there waiting when you came for me. It wasn’t like I just sat around twiddling my thumbs, although I did spend a lot of time doing that. Did you know, demons are the dullest creatures I think I’ve ever encountered?” he questions, sounding so utterly offended that Alec laughs, squeezing his hands.

“I’ll take your word for it.” He says, gently pulling Magnus back down against him. “I’m so happy you’re back.”

“I am happy to be back.” Magnus mumbles, pressing another kiss to Alec’s lips. “Tomorrow we have a wedding to finish planning.”

“Oh, thank God.” Alec exclaims, tension neither of them realized he’d been carrying suddenly falls from him. “It’s so hard to plan a wedding for a warlock and a Shadowhunter when the warlock isn’t there to point things out. Izzy’s the one who reminded me that we can’t use runes. Unless we use the Alliance rune to do it, but then we’re not sure what would happen when the Alliance Rune disappeared.”

“The what rune?”

“Oh! Oh, we haven’t told you!” Alec exclaims, sitting up quickly, Magnus pulls away, a little dazed by how sudden Alec moved. “Sorry.” Alec soothes, before grabbing up his stele, taking Magnus’ hand into his own and drawing a beautiful rune on the back of his hand. Magnus stares at the rune in shock, even more startled when Alec presses the stele into his hands and says, “Draw this on me!”

“Alexander-“

“You’ve already done the hard part.” Alec points out, tapping the rune on Magnus’ hand. “Come on!”

“I’m going, I’m going.” Magnus finally acquiesces, drawing the rune swiftly on the back of Alec’s hand and pressing the stele back into Alec's hands. “Now what?” he asks, frowning, before letting out a startled gasp when his own magic forms on Alec’s fingertips. “I don’t… how?”

“The Alliance Rune, courtesy of Clary!” Alec explains before frowning down at his hands. “I have no idea what I am doing, Magnus!” Magnus laughs and gently takes Alec’s hands into his own, commanding the magic to recede, slowly the colour dissipates.

“I will teach you, after we’re married.” Magnus promises, snuggling back into Alec’s side. “I imagine you can draw your runes on me while the Alliance is active?”

“Yeah.” Alec answers, nodding. “We don’t _know_ but we think Downworlders would be able to use the rune on each other, too. Since it is really old, older than the Nephilim, anyway.”

“Mmm.” Magnus responds, yawning widely and snuggling his face against Alec’s chest. “Sleep now.”

“Yeah, probably a good idea.” Alec replies, yawning himself. “Goodnight, Magnus. I love you.”

“I love you too, Alexander.” Magnus mumbles, before sleep rises up to claim him.

* * *

He wakes in the middle of the night, his breaths heavy when he realizes he’s not in Edom, the arm around his waist tightens and Alec’s voice suddenly breaks through his panic.

“Shh, Magnus, you’re okay. You’re free.” Alec mumbles, voice thick with sleep. “You’re free.”

“Alexander.” Magnus whispers, sucking in a breath and slowly relaxing back into Alec’s side. “I’m free.”

“Yes, and soon we’ll be married.” Alec promises, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. “Go back to sleep, I’ll be here when you wake.”

“Sleep.” Magnus mumbles, nodding his head and closing his eyes, sleep is quick to claim him once more.

When he wakes in the morning, Alec is still tucked up beside him, and when the panic of waking in an unfamiliar place finally lessens, Magnus simply lies there and watches his lover sleep for the first time in what feels like a lifetime.

* * *

  _Bathe me deeper in your glory,_  
_I rewrite your story, sewn back into mine._  
_I feel the grass grow, quicker than the white snow,_  
_Back into the shadows, to another life._

 _Yeah, I bleed just like everyone,_  
_But I feed off a different drum._  
_I'm built all of broken bone,_  
_I'm nothing to no one._  
_Will you ghost stay here in the dark,_  
_So close, while I fall apart?_  
_When you go, I will keep your heart._  
_I am nothing to no one but you._  
~Nothing to No One, Gin Wigmore


End file.
